Hi, I’m Ellen Hopkins

sinner, redeemed by Christ -- ever-growing student of His Word

Welcome to

Scripture Confident Living

empowering believers to study the bible with growing confidence.

It is my desire to grow your love of God through studying His Word confidently. My study material and most blog posts include a component of learning how to study the Bible well so that with time, you can approach a passage or topic of the Bible and read, interpret, and apply it with confidence. Devotionals, heavily-guided Bible studies, and listening to sermons are all great resources (!) but you should also learn to approach the Bible on your own without these aids.

How can I serve you today?

We all have different people in our lives that God uses to refine us. I hope to be one of those people in your life. I can never replace an in-person mentor - if you don't have one, start praying for God to bring one into your life - but I'd like to be these:

An Encourager

The Word of God is full of truth that replenishes our soul. I want to bring Scripture to you in a way that uplifts your spirit, captures your attention, and lead you closer to the Lord. The Word of God has that effect on us and makes us hungry for more of it.

A Teacher

Many times on this site, you'll imagine me putting on my nerdy professor glasses and going into teaching mode. I love sharing about HOW to study the Bible. No worries, I won't scare you off with Greek words. To tell you the truth, I wish I could but I actually can't...

A Coach

Okay, don't expect any sports analogies here; I do my workout on a yoga mat. Here is what I mean by "coach": I'll give you the tools and fuel your motivation; then it's onto you. Get studying, get learning, take charge. Flex your Bible study muscle.

A little about me...

I am a wife and mother of two daughters. We live in Rockledge, FL and attend Grace Fellowship Church, where my husband is on staff as the Youth & Young Adult Pastor.

I have a Bachelor Degree in Communications from Moody Bible Institute and a Masters Degree in Counseling Ministries from Wheaton College Graduate School.

Here is the truth: I didn't have much Bible knowledge when entering College, so I mostly learned how to study Scripture in my Bible classes. Immediate I had this thought: "I can teach this to others."

I enjoy writing and teaching. Obviously, I have a passion for God's Word. I love relational ministry. I tear up at stories of God's work in people's life; yes, I cry at every baptism. This year, I'm asking God to grow my trust in Him as I follow His directions. Yes, I am God's work in progress, just like you.

My "Scripture confidence" journey

It was during a homework assignment at Moody Bible Institute that I had my "Scripture confidence" moment. I first studied through a passage of the book of Hebrews, then turned to the assigned commentary chapter. My heart rejoiced to find that my observations and interpretations lined up exactly with the author's. My mind was saying, "Yay! I am getting the hang of this."

All believers have the same Holy Spirit as their guide and with a few study methods, any believer can be on their way to confidently studying the Bible for themselves.

Around the same time, I wrote the first version of Scripture Confident through the Bible for a high school girls small group. I am thankful for how this study has evolved into helping believers of all ages gain confidence in their ability to study Scripture and truly understand it.

To say the least, God has been laying the vision of this ministry on my heart for many years. I am thankful it is now time to share it with you!

What I believe

Above all, I want you to know that I believe in the inerrancy of Scripture. That means, I believe that the Bible in its original language is inspired by God and true to the core.

I believe that all believers have the same Holy Spirit as their guide in understanding God's Word and can do so with increasing confidence with just a few study methods. I believe that God desires for us to become students of the Scriptures to know Him, discern truth from lies, and transform our lives to look more like Christ.

Because I am sure some of you will ask: I believe in the triune God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), the creator of all the world, author and perfecter of our faith. I believe that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, and that salvation is through Christ alone.

I will purposely not comment on many other facets of my theological views. I would rather teach you to carefully search Scripture and, to the best of your ability and with help of your faith community, figure out where you land on many of the finer points. Don't be scared; it can be a fun journey!